Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POC3124: Political Thinkers of the Late Twentieth Century

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Please note that this module is only delivered on the Penryn Campus.

Module Aims

This module aims to introduce you to the work of several exemplary thinkers of the late twentieth century who sometimes also participated in the events that they wrote about. It will encourage you to read closely some key political texts that have animated political action and influenced political reflection since their publication. The module aims to provoke critical reflection by engaging with ideas that challenge conventional assumptions about the meaning, possibilities and limits of democratic politics.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. demonstrate substantive knowledge of the thinkers and texts studied; 2. understand the role that various thinkers and debates have played in shaping modern political thought.
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. assess the coherence, plausibility and significance of political arguments; 4. appreciate how political concepts are shaped and transformed by historical context and deployment in action.
Personal and Key Skills	5. present complex arguments with clarity and concision; 6. communicate effectively in speech and writing.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

The module will survey the work of a range of thinkers from the late twentieth century. While the specific thinkers and texts surveyed may vary from year to year, they will be selected to reflect a range of themes (such as sexual liberation, decolonization, power and violence) and ideologies (such as conservativism, feminism, communism and black power). An indicative list of thinkers whose work the module might examine includes: Michel Foucault, Angela Davis, Paulo Freire, Michael Oakeshott, Friedrich von Hayek, Stuart Hall, Simone de Beauvoir, Hannah Arendt & Frantz Fanon.

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
20	130	0

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity	20	10 x 2 hour seminars
Guided Independent study	40	Reading and preparation for seminars
Guided Independent study	90	Preparation and completion of assessment tasks

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).